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How to Set Your Business Goals and Targets

According to a lot of recent articles I’ve read, one of the biggest issues for people considering the bizpreneur life is fear. Especially people who haven’t clarified their goals, so they are at the mercy of fear.

Fear of the instability of earnings, of not being able to attract new business, of not being able to make ends meet. Probably (although this is highly subjective) there’s less fear about whether they can produce good quality work.

Mind you, for many salaried workers these days, there are also a fairly heavy set of fears.

Fear of being made redundant, fear of losing work/life balance through having to work insane hours to keep the job, fear of working for the boss from hell.

A sort of “Damned if you do, and damned if you don’t” scenario.

In both instances, you can be consumed by the fear. Or having established your goal, you can take positive steps to address each of the issues provoking the fear reaction.

In other words, break it down into its constituent parts. Fear is a very powerful but often generalised emotional response. Your goal on the other hand is specific and measurable.

Once the fear’s been broken down you will find that you’re quite able to deal with most of the specific aspects, which should reduce the overall fear response.

I suspect that once fear has been broken down like that, it can never assume the “whole is greater than the sum of the parts” size again.

Suzanne Jeffers’ book “Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway” saved my life when it first came out 20 years ago. I cannot recommend it highly enough if you’re feeling the least bit fearful about becoming a Bizpreneur; or have made the transition and are worrying yourself sick.

For me, the most powerful antidote to that fear I felt 20 years ago was Taking Action. To do that, according to Jeffers, you need to take action on each bit of the fear, even while still feeling the emotion.

The activity quickly dispels the negative emotion because you get this delicious “that wasn’t so bad!” feeling, followed shortly by “Huh! You know what, I CAN do this!”We

You’re a small business at the moment. You need to act like a highly efficient business. Acting that way will reduce your uncertainty and enable you instead to become (and stay) highly positive and optimistic.

A process for defining EXACTLY what you’re doing for the client, how much you’re charging and your Ts&Cs. This is to avoid you doing too much for free… which you should rightly be scared rigid about!!!

Core business admin processes for quoting, invoicing, chasing debt and so on.

A process for quickly and professionally resolving the inevitable breakdowns. Things like dealing with the unreasonable client, chasing unpaid invoices, being let down by suppliers, having something from your private life intrude on your business life.

Here’s a little technique I was given at the same time 20 years ago when I was immobilised by fear:

“Respond, don’t react”.

Give yourself time to consider the BEST thing to do, which may not be the FIRST thought that comes rushing into your head!

There are no guarantees in life. But the best way to deal with the fear of uncertainty, is to take well thought out, measurable, achievable actions to bring certainty into play.

And remember, as a Bizpreneur, you have MUCH MORE FREEDOM TO ACT than the average salary slave.

Stay confident and focused on your business goals and targets, Bizpreneur!